For years shoes have been packaged and sold in a conventional box. The boxes are generally made of cardboard, but they can be made of other materials, such as rigid plastic. While this arrangement is convenient for stacking shoes, etc., the boxes can be bulky and are not convenient for carrying unless they are placed in a bag or other device having a handle. In addition, shoe boxes are generally opaque, which prevents the consumer from viewing the shoe within the package. Further, shoe boxes often require a considerable amount of material, which leads to additional cost of manufacturing, as well as to added weight during transport (e.g., from the manufacturer or by the consumer) and creates a considerable amount of waste when the boxes are disposed.
Generally, in order to be stacked, conventional shoe boxes must be rigid so they do not wrack and collapse under the weight of boxes above them. In addition, shoe boxes generally avoid protrusions extending outward that may catch on other boxes when pulling one box out of a stack of boxes. In some arrangements, shoe boxes may be conveyed through distribution centers in which individual boxes are exposed to a variety of surfaces, such as rollers and belts, and to transitions between these surfaces during directional and speed changes. Conventional shoe boxes require substantial material and structure in order to be robust enough to make this passage and not catch on, or bind between, conveyance structures.
Additionally, corrugate packaging is often the largest single material waste stream of a consumer products company, and the unencumbered recycling of this waste stream is a paramount objective. Legislation and punitive taxation against permanently mixed materials packaging exists in certain countries, so packages must be constructed so that they are made of one material only, or if different materials are used, such as a lightweight exterior and stronger internal support, that the different materials are easily removed from one another during recycling.
Accordingly, a flexible package having reduced material usage, increased ease of recycling while maintaining a structure suitable for conveyance, distribution and sale of the product within the package would be advantageous.